An exciting era of new collaboration and partnership for Malaysian and New Zealand businesses was launched during an event at the Shangri-La Hotel on Monday (2 September 2024).
Attended by the Right Honourable Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, the event sought to celebrate the strength of the existing trade relationship between New Zealand and Malaysia, while promoting New Zealand’s capabilities in innovation and leading tech solutions and world-class food and beverage.
A total of ten new or expanded partnership agreements between Malaysian and New Zealand companies were witnessed by Luxon, who had earlier come from a meeting with Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to further high-level government relations and enhance bilateral trade as part of his two-day visit to Malaysia.
The significant number of partnerships is evidence of the growing relationship between New Zealand and Malaysia, which has seen two-way trade between the two countries nearly double since 2016.
Food and beverage remain New Zealand’s largest export category to Malaysia, with dairy its single biggest export. In the year to March 2024, New Zealand exported NZD808 million (RM2.2 billion) in dairy products to Malaysia, supplying over 45 per cent of all Malaysia’s dairy imports.
Innovation and technology are growing in prominence as increasing numbers of New Zealand companies partner with Malaysian businesses and New Zealand’s reputation as a hub for world-class solutions grows. In the past ten years, the New Zealand tech sector has more than doubled in size. It is now the fastest-growing sector in the New Zealand economy and its second-largest export earner after dairy.
Prime Minister Luxon said the event was a recognition of the extensive business relationship between Malaysia and New Zealand and the interest in growing trade even further.
“Malaysia and New Zealand partner well across the food and beverage and technology sectors, and there is significant potential opportunity to further extend these relationships for mutual benefit,” said Luxon.
He added, “It was exciting to meet with these leading Malaysian companies and see just how well New Zealand can complement them in their growth aspirations here in Malaysia and further afield.”
Six companies in the food, beverage and agriculture sectors solidified new relationships:
- Alliance, New Zealand’s only 100 per cent farmer-owned red meat co-operative, signed an MoU with Malaysian partner Fatric to expand the company’s premium lamb and mutton programme in Malaysia. Alliance’s Pukeuri (Oamaru) processing plant is one of just five New Zealand lamb plants licensed to supply Malaysia. The MoU marked more than two decades of collaborative and mutually supportive partnership since 1992.
- New Zealand’s Lincoln University and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) signed an MoU, paving the way for enhanced research and academic collaboration between the two institutions in the critical areas of agriculture and food security.
- Leading New Zealand snack company Griffin’s Food Ltd signed an agreement with Malaysian distribution partner AIT Fine Food to launch its Proper Crisps brand in Malaysia. AIT has been Griffin’s valued Malaysian distribution and sales partner since 2011 and is the company’s largest distributor in Asia.
- Comvita – a global market leader in Mānuka honey and bee products – signed an MoU with Big Caring Group intending to launch Comvita products into its chain of stores.
- Southern Fresh signed an agreement with Malaysian supplier Agroto Business to launch Southern Fresh’s premium quality New Zealand produce into the Aeon supermarket chain.
- NIG Nutritionals signed an MoU with Delfi Marketing to expand its existing partnership and formalise the distribution of its high-quality quality nutritional products in Malaysia.
A further four partnerships in the manufacturing, technology and innovation sectors were formalised:
- Hamilton Jet – a global leader in marine waterjet propulsion technology – agreed to formalise supply agreements with Malaysia’s Gading Marine Industry and Sarawak Slipways to further expand the use of its pioneering technology in the market.
- Orion Health formalised a partnership agreement with Malaysian healthcare solutions provider MH Nexus to advance digital health solutions to the local healthcare market in South East Asia.
- Pacific Edge and Premier Integrated Labs signed an MoU to formalise a distribution and testing services agreement.
The Prime Minister is joined in Malaysia by the Honourable Melissa Lee, Minister for Economic Development, and the Honourable Nicola Grigg, Minister of State for Trade and Associate Minister of Agriculture, along with a 17-strong business delegation representing New Zealand’s top exporters in Malaysia.
As part of the mission, the delegation visited New Zealand’s Skyline Luge in Kuala Lumpur, where the iconic Kiwi attraction was celebrating its one millionth rider milestone, just nine months after its Malaysia launch. The delegation also supported a new clinic opening for New Zealand specialist health solutions provider, Fertility Associates in Malaysia.
Source: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (Press Release)
